Milky Way's first microblazar candidate found 12,000 light-years away

Astronomers identified IRAS 18293-0941 as a strong candidate for the Milky Way's first microblazar, located 12,000 light-years from Earth. The binary system's black hole fires plasma jets at about three-quarters the speed of light almost directly toward Earth. The object poses no threat but could help explain the origins of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

• IRAS 18293-0941 lies 12,000 light-years from Earth
• Its plasma jets reach ~75% the speed of light
• The binary system has an orbital period of 11.38 days
• Data came from EVN, MeerKAT, Calar Alto and VLA